Dairy exports are gaining momentum in discussions within the Brazilian dairy farming industry.

The possibility of inserting Brazilian milk production into the international market was the guiding thread of the Seminar on Health in Dairy Cattle, held on Thursday (14) at the headquarters of the Fund for Animal Health Development and Defense (Fundesa), during Fenasul Expoleite 2026. The event was organized by Fundesa and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seapi).

Secretary Márcio Madalena participated in the opening of the event and highlighted the need to seek international markets for the dairy sector. “We have discussed a lot about safeguarding our milk producers with regard to imports, but we have a new frontier, which is exporting. A powerhouse in the meat market, like Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul, cannot be content without also being a powerhouse in dairy farming,” he emphasized.

According to the secretary, spaces for debate such as the seminar provide an environment for the public sector, producers, and industry to seek integrated action to enable the export of Brazilian dairy products. “We know the difficulties of production costs. But, due to sanitary problems, we will not stop being exporters. We will be a benchmark, as we already are in other production chains,” he said.

The seminar featured a presentation by the former Secretary of Agriculture of Santa Catarina, Airton Spies, on the incentive plan for dairy exports from the Southern Brazilian Dairy Alliance. Federal agricultural auditor Rodrigo Pereira, from the Regional Superintendence of the Ministry of Agriculture, presented an overview of milk production in Rio Grande do Sul. Auditors Bernardo Todeschini and Leonardo Isolan, from the Ministry's International Relations Secretariat, who served as agricultural attachés in Europe, addressed the issue of access to international markets. Representatives from Farsul and Fetag-RS offered a producers' perspective on the matter, while the industry was represented by Sindilat, Apil, and Fecoagro.

The seminar was recorded and will be available on Seapi's YouTube channel.